By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the Texas Legislature...
...enter State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn today to notify lawmakers that for the first time in history, the legislature has sent the comptroller a budget that is not balanced.
At a press conference today, Strayhorn noted that the budget lawmakers sent to her at the close of the 78th Regular Session is more than $185 million short of balancing, and thus refused to certify the $117.4 billion state budget for 2004-05.
"This is the first time the Legislature has sent the comptroller a budget that is not balanced," said Strayhorn. "I would have loved for the legislature to have adopted a budget I could certify."
Now in addition to facing the highly partisan and contentious issue of congressional redistricting in a June 30 special session called by Gov. Rick Perry, the legislature also faces an Aug. 31 deadline to rewrite the budget. The budget must balance and be certified by the comptroller before the end of the current fiscal year.
Gov. Rick Perry called Strayhorn's announcement "disappointing" but said he believes legislators can "quickly address her concerns."
"Comptroller Strayhorn has a difficult task, and I appreciate the hard work she and her staff have devoted to the job of reviewing House Bill No. 1 and all the legislation that dovetails into the budget," said Perry. "I will continue working with the leadership of both chambers and with Comptroller Strayhorn, and I am confident we can address this issue quickly."
Perry stopped short of saying whether the budget would become part of the call of the June 30 special session.
The budget process was second only to redistricting in causing legislative heartburn during the recently completed 78th Regular Session.
Strayhorn said not certifying the budget "isn't about what I like or don't like." While admitting she opposes spending the state's Rainy Day Fund, she did certify those funds appropriated from that fund as part of the budget. She also noted that the legislature increased by four times the use of one-time funding sources, which she also counted toward revenue even though she opposed that method because the result is "pushing the problem to future taxpayers."
The comptroller pointed out that without the $1.26 billion shot in the arm from federal funds late in the session, the proposed budget would have been more than $1 billion short. While praising efforts of the chairs of the House and Senate budget-writing committees, the conference committee on the budget bill and others who assisted with the legislation, Strayhorn said the state still needs a "pay as you go" budget by mid-July "or the (public) schools won't open in September."
Democratic Party Chair Molly Beth Malcolm is using the comptroller's refusal to certify the state budget as an opportunity to remind Perry of bigger fish in the legislative pond.
"With a special session on redistricting, the governor had his priorities out of balance," said Malcolm. "Now the state's budget is out of balance. The top priority should be to pass a budget that Strayhorn is willing to certify." Malcolm suggested that Perry drop the call for congressional redistricting and instead use the June 30 session "to balance our state's budget and protect our state's future."